newy.com.au – Muswellbrook Shire Mayor Jeff Drayton has been appointed chair of the Hunter Joint Organisation as its 10 member councils press for greater state investment in jobs, housing infrastructure and council services before the March 2027 NSW election.
Port Stephens Mayor Leah Anderson has been reappointed deputy chair. Drayton succeeds Singleton Mayor Sue Moore, who led the board for four years.
The organisation said the pair were due to lead a delegation of Hunter mayors to Parliament House in Sydney on 22 October for meetings with ministers, shadow ministers and crossbenchers.
“Whether you’re the government, opposition or a candidate, we’ll be knocking on your door,” Drayton said.
The board wants the NSW Future Jobs and Investment Fund increased from $22.5 million to $150 million a year to support projects that diversify the region’s economy. The organisation said the Future Jobs Investment Bill had passed Parliament, but argued urgent investment was needed to develop new industries and local jobs.
On housing, Anderson called for a long term infrastructure program worth $100 million a year to fund roads, water and power needed to support new development. She said making land available alone would not resolve the region’s housing supply and affordability challenges.
Anderson also urged early planning to convert temporary worker accommodation for the Hunter Transmission Project into permanent housing after construction, saying 1,000 worker homes were expected. Repurposing those homes is a proposal the board wants governments to consider, rather than an announced housing project.
Council finances form another part of the election platform. The board is seeking more state waste levy revenue returned to local communities, a revised funding model for council owned water and sewer infrastructure, and state responsibility for major regional freight roads currently maintained by councils.
Drayton said rates covered, on average, about half the cost of providing council infrastructure and services.
“Local rates should fund local community benefits, not cover state government responsibilities,” he said.
He argued the changes would help councils maintain neighbourhood streets, improve parks and facilities and reduce pressure for rate increases.
The Hunter Joint Organisation coordinates regional priorities and advocacy across Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, MidCoast, Newcastle, Muswellbrook, Port Stephens, Singleton and Upper Hunter councils. Its board is seeking commitments from government, opposition and other candidates as they develop policies for the state election.
